Cotton-picker



W. T. HARRIS AND L. F. HAMME.

COTTON PICKER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, I919.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

from the bolls. V A still further object is to provide siinlple es -the"fibers thereon and allow t readilyA view which will WILLIAM T. HARRIS, OF VIBG-ILINA, VIRGINIA, AND LEE F. HAMME, 0F OXFORD,

. NORTH sanctum.

foo'rron-rrcxnas Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM T. HAnms and LEE-F. HAMME, citizens ofthe United States, residing, respectively, at Virgilina and Oxford, in the counties of Halifax and Granville, States of Virginia and North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Cotton-Picker, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to machines for picking cotton, one of its objects being to rovide a gang of rotating units. adaptedtlp lie'drawn over a row of plants and each unit including a plurality of needles adapted to be dropped into enga ement with the plants so as to enga e the h bers of the bottom.

. Another 0 ject is, to provide means whereby the needles, when-dropped to active positions, will'be' rotated by the forward movement of the machine thereby to wrap the cotton fibers thereuponand pull them and efiicient means for rotating the nee in the reverse direction after they have been elevatedfrom the plants, thereby to loosen em. to be Another object is to provide units which are simple in construction, compact and efficient, formed of few parts, and will not get out of order.

the foregoiugand other objects in appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts which will'be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in .the claims, it being understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawin ferred form of the invention has In said drawings 1 Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of the complete machine, parts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the lower arcuate tracks.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the rear arcuate rails.

Wit

the preeen shown.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application mecse tember 18, 1919. Scrialll'o. 324,308.

Referring-tothe figures b characters of reference, 1. designates af'W eel supported frame adaptedto be pro el'led by motor or otherwise along a row 0 cotton plants and journaled .on this frame is a transverse shaft 2 to which are secured the picking units of the machine. Each picking unit includes a narrow wheel formed of an outer rim 3.and an inner rim 4, the said rims being connected at desired intervals by spokes 5 or the like which also connect the rims to a hit]: 6 secured to and adapted to rotate with the shaft 2. Needles 7 are radially disposed in each wheel and are adapted to slide and rotate within the rims of the wheel, each needle having a spool 8 securedthereto between the rnns andmovable against said rims to limit the sliding movement of the needle radially of the wheel-toward or from the hub.

The several wheels of the units are arranged close together-and side by side and a s rocket 9 is secured riven b a chain 10 and sprocket 11 from one of t e supporting wheels 12 so that asthe achine moves forward the picking units wil be rotated. I

Fixedly connected to the frame 1 and extending under the front lower quarter of each plcking unit is a shield 13 which is concentric with the shaft 2 and extends slightly rearwardly. past the vertical center of the units. This shield is close to the outer rims 3: and constitutes a support for the needles 7 as they are movin downwardly preparatory "to dropping in 0 under the machine. o Supported from the shaft between the wheels of the units and close to and concentrio with the outer rims 3 are arcuate tracks 14, each of these tracks being engaged by the spools 8 of two adjoining units, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. The rails can be formed with thin side faces diverging outwardly and can be held against rotation with a the shaft 2 by any suitable'means, as, for" example, braces connecting the arms 15 of the rails with the frame 1, these braces being. shown at 16. Additional short rails 17 having outwardly diverging faces are arranged between the back portions of the wheels of the units and in line with the spaces between the rails l t-and these short rails areconnected to the shaft 2 by arms 18 loose on the shaft and braced to the frame 1 by rods 19 Patented Mar. 23, 1920.-

to the shaft 2 and is 9o the. plants a or in any other manner desired. It will be receiving motion through V aieprocket 23 rotating with the sprocket 11.

a as already noted that the shaft 2 is adapted to rotate in the hubs of the tractor rails 14 and within the hubs 18 of'the rails 17 Arranged back of the picking units is a transmse shaft 20 having a sprocket-21 a cham'22 from brought toelevated positions they will;slide spool on t port .and rearwardl needle will' r'rltimately slide off of the rear rotating each mine saids obvlous.

downwardly until their s ools 8 come against the inner rims 4 an the points of the needles are flush or substantially flush with the outer surfaces of therims 3. I During the continued rotation of the units the needles will be brought to position above the front end ofthe shield 13 which will supthe needles as they move downwardl with their wheels. Eac

edge of the shield 13 and will, promptly drop down into the plant thereunder and this dropping of the needle will cause the e same to come into contact with one side'of the adjacent rail 14 so that the rotation oi the wheel of thepicking unit will 35 result in the spool rolling along the rail and the needle' As before explained 11 14 will rotate the spools of two 001s of the two units rotating in opposite ireetions respectively, as will be The rotation of thespools and their needles will result in the wrapping of the, oottonyfiber a out the ,needlesas the needles comb through the plants and just as the needles rise outsof the plants their spools will leave the rearends" of the railsand ass between and into contact with the s ort rails 17 .The spools will roll along these .i

short rails but as the rails those'sides of thespool op it w ll be aparentthat t "eswill .thereon wil lrbe loosened. During 17 arelocated at osite the rails14 e rotation ofthe action V the needles and throw-them into the-rece ptacleg25. from which they can beremoved in any manner desired. a from the dofiin element' the, needles 7 w'l drop positions in the w re eat the foregoing glp'srat on.v

v t isclaimed 1s-IT",,,Y. g 1 1. A machine for picking cotton'includinga movably supported 'structnre, ,alrevoluble unit carried by said structureland including,

remedial needles'mounted to'slicle rotate,

ing

e reversed with the result that After more baek'to t eir retracted?" unit carried thereby, needles ra'diall diea. revoluble posed in said unit and adapted to '51" e and rotate therein, means for supporting the needles within the unit during the first portion oi their movement under the axis of rotation of the unit, a stationary element at.

one side of the ath of the needles, and means on the: use les for engaging said element to rotate the needles when 'moved radially outwardly during the -fi nal portion of their movement under the faxis 0f rotation.

3. A machine forpicking cotton includin a movably supportem sti iicture a whee revolubly mountedlthelffi nd havin outer and inner rims, radial'needlesslidab e'and revoluble within the :rimsg -inn arcuate rail at one side of the wheel adjacent the outer rim, stationary means upon the structure and concentricwith the outer rim-for engaging the outer ends of the needles to hold the needles retracted in-the wheel during the first portion of their rearward rotation with the wheel. uml inc-nus upon the needles for engugin; the rail during the downward uiovenu-nl. of the needles when moved ,ofi of the stationary lli't'lllG holding means, thereby to rotate said needles during the rotation of the wheel l. A lmu'lline for picl g COttOll. includa rotatable series of ial needles slid ably mounted, means for holding theneedles against gravitation during a portion of their movement under the axis of rotation of the series, rails at opposite sidesfof the path of the needles and each needle in opposite directionssucces snielydurmg the rotation of the ser es.

v I i 5. The "combinationwith rails arranged the -'ro.ta,ting beater will dolf {the disposed one back of the -other, and means onthe needles andmovable successively along the rails to rotate in parallel-planes and one in advance of I Qthet other, of s rotatable series of radial earward ia upward movement,

tractedposltion's during their downward moil ementv with the rotating series;

agent directions dura "l 1 p 725; forsupporting the needles inire- GgTheie mb-inatiOn with rails arrangedoin parallel planes and one in advance of tired-8b other, of a Wheel having inner and outer rims, radial needles slidable and revoluble in the rims, spools on the needles and between the rims for limiting the sliding movement of the needles, and means for supporting the needles with their spools elevated during the downward and rearward rotation of the needles with the seriesand .for releasing the needles for gravitation from the outer rim of the wheel during the rearward and upward rotation of the series,

said spools, during such gravitation, being movable to successively engage the rails to rotate the needles in opposite directions successively. l

7. Ina machine for picking cotton a wheel mounted for rotation and having inner and outer rims, radial needles slidable within the rims, spools thereon and between the rims, arcuate means for supporting the needles during a portion of their downward and rearward movement with the wheel, said needles-being movable downwardly by gravity when moved of! o the supporting means to position the spools adjacent the outer rim, and separate means for engage trails at the sides of the when the ment successively by the spools for rotating the spools and needles in opposite directions successively, and doifing means for engaging the needles.

In a machine for picking cotton .a wheel having inner and outer rims, needles slidable within the rims and radially disposed, spools on the needles and between the rims for limiting the sliding movement of the needles, means extendin under a portion of the Wheel for holding t e needles retracted during a portion of their rearward move.- ment under the axis-of the wheel, separate path of the spools, said spools being movable'to position to sue: cessively engage and roll along the rails needles are released from their holding means, thereby to rotate each needle in op osite directions successively, and a revolu le during their rotation by one of the rails.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto afiixed our.

signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM T. HARRIS. LEE F. HAMME.

dofi'er for engaging the needles 

